


The Lullaby of the Fair Maiden’s Nightgown

by Aerest



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 12:19:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9726680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerest/pseuds/Aerest
Summary: A night at the inn.





	

**Author's Note:**

> ChiaraTippy, thank you for being an awesome, patient and persisting beta! I'm aware that my mulishness can be a challenge. The happier I am to have you at my side.
> 
> All mistakes are mine. I'm no native.  
> (If you find distracting ones, please tell me.)
> 
> Comments and constructive criticism are very welcome. I'm Aerest at JBO and on Tumblr.

 

He stares at Pod in confusion.  
"She’s … what?"

"I’m sorry, Ser, Mylord, I’m, I mean, she said I should, …" he takes a deep breath. "She said I should mind my own business and fetch you in case she got herself into trouble."

Jaime raises an eyebrow.  
"Brienne of Tarth - drunk?" he asks once more, his mouth crinkling in amused disbelief.  
However, as Pod’s words sink into his consciousness he falls back into seriousness.  
"She is in trouble?" He gets up quickly, grabbing his sword.

"No, she isn’t." Pod clarifies. He looks sorrowful when he continues: "I’m afraid I won’t be able to see her to her room by myself." He sighs. "She’s…" his words trail away, his face a picture of awkwardness.

"Why by the Seven would she…?" Jaime shakes his head. "Let’s go."  


* * *

  
They can hear her already in the staircase, chanting the 'Lullaby of the Fair Maiden's Nightgown'. "She knew all the previous strophes, too?" Jaime asks, impressed. Pod nods, blushing.  
"Where did she learn…" Jaime starts, but then halts in realization. "I keep forgetting I’m not the only one of us who ever traveled with an army."  


* * *

  
The sight once they enter the taproom is one that Jaime never wants to forget, ever. Brienne sways to and fro, a stunned handmaid in each of her arms, while she chants the bawdy song. Her face is red, eyes half closed, the words she chants heavily slurred. Her posture is relaxed, a slight smile on her lips.  


* * *

  
When he hears a loud harrumph Jaime sighs in regret and loosens his gaze from the scene.  
The inkeep’s wife, hands on her hips, stands in the kitchen door, glaring at them. "I am deeply sorry for your inconveniences" Jaime smiles at her. "We will guide my travel companion to her room as quickly as possible."  
He gives Pod a slight push and both of them approach Brienne.

"Mylady, it’s a pleasure to meet you in such a joyful mood!" Jaime addresses her mockingly, freeing the handmaid under Brienne’s right arm, taking her place. Pod takes his cue and does the same at Brienne’s left. "Jaime… You here? I thooough you’h write to Shershee tonigh? To go’hoooome to her? To leave uss." Brienne tries to focus on his face, her expression cloudy.

When he puts his arm around her back Jaime notices her body trembling at his side, her hand clinging to his shoulder. He ignores her words, nodding at Pod to lift her up with him. Brienne’s staggering heavily, but they manage to hold her steady enough. "Brienne, we’ll bring you upstairs into your bed. Try to not fall, please." Jaime speaks slowly in hopes she will understand. "Bed…? Jaime…" she stares at him, her face growing into an even darker red than the shade the alcohol has produced.  
"Yes, bed." He flinches in pain. "Wench, at least try to hit the floor with your steps and not my feet!"  
Giggling, Pod manages to pull his own leg away just in time.

"Now it’s only the three of us left, closely together…" Jaime starts, gritting his teeth while counter-weighting another attempt of Brienne to fall down the stairs backwards, "tell me this, oh lovely wench: Why did you feel the need today, of all days, to wear your armour to dinner?" He groans. "Not feeling safe enough in the face of the muddy stew?"

Pod breaks into laughter, nearly missing a step, making their line wobble. "Not you too!" Jaime exhales, steadying them back into balance. "Surrounded by jolly children and drunk women. What have I gotten myself into?" he complains, when he finally shoves Brienne onto the stairhead. He’s smiling.  


* * *

  
They enter her room, placing her onto the bed.  
Pod looks from Jaime to Brienne, obviously uncertain about what to do next. Jaime shrugs. "It’s alright. Thank you, Pod. You can go rest now. I’ll take care of everything else."

"B-but, Ser, I’m her squire!" Pod protests eagerly. "And…" he swallows. "It’s… It’s not proper if you… Here… And her…" he stutters, blushing. "I mean…"

"Podrick Payne!" Jaime exclaims sternly. "Go rest! And trust that I won’t do anything dishonorable to your lady. We simply need to talk. However", his voice goes softer, "I thank you for your concern and service towards her."  


* * *

  
Meanwhile Brienne lies on her bed, still clad in her armour, staring at Jaime with her eyes wide open.  
When Pod finally leaves the room, Jaime fills a mug with water from the pitcher and lowers it to her mouth. "Drink. In the morning you’ll be thankful for any water you drank tonight."  
She looks at him questioningly but empties the mug.

Putting it aside he starts speaking. "Brienne, I’ll need your help." He grabs her hand and pulls her into a sitting position. "Stay like that, please?"  
Brienne watches uneasily as he starts to take off her armour, piece by piece. "Jaime, what doyou do?" she looks at him, concern in her eyes, but also something… different. He considers several answers but goes for the simplest one. "You shouldn’t sleep in your armour. Not if we’ve got beds for once."  
"But ahmour’s…" she searches for a word, "sssafe."  
"Nothhing hurts in ahmour. Nothhing", she adds quietly.

Jaime halts his movements, just looking at her. "Brienne… I won’t go home. I wrote to Cersei, but not to go home. I will keep traveling with you. If you will have me."  
Brienne lifts her head to meet his eyes, sadness in her own.  
"You misss her!" she states.  
Jaime averts his gaze. "It’s… difficult", he finally answers. Looking back up at her he adds "You know that. I won’t deny it. But I need to live my own life."

When Brienne doesn’t answer he continues to detach her armour from her. His voice has grown hard while speaking, but he still lifts Brienne’s breastplate over her head tenderly, making sure her hair won’t get stuck in it.  
He lets his eyes wander over her body quickly.  
"Lift your legs, will you?"  
Pulling her boots off he realizes the next step, cursing at himself that he hadn’t thought of that earlier.

"Brienne, I would rather not disturb Pod’s sleep. Do you think you can stand for a moment?"  
When she only stares up at him in confusion he considers his options and grabs the water pitcher, throwing the contents of it into her face.  
Ignoring her shriek he pulls her up, using her quick moment of awareness for his purposes. Steadying her between the wall and his right shoulder he starts to unlace her gambeson.

"Jaime… " her voice is fragile, insecure, but she doesn’t oppose him.  
Jaime’s breath quickens as he continues to undo the laces, needing to go higher and higher with his hand. He clearly hasn’t thought this through properly.  
"Mylady, I’m sorry, …" he utters, turning his head towards her face, and finds himself nose to nose with her, her freckles hidden in her skin’s deep blush, her eyes a brilliant blue, pulling him in. His breath halts. He backs away quickly, just to realize she still can’t keep her balance. He rushes to hold her stable against the wall, too close to her again.

"It’s nearly done" he tries to focus himself back to unclothing her. He roughly pulls at her gambeson’s collar and succeeds. The lace is finally loose.  
"Lean back" he advises her. "Unsleeve your arm" is the next step. "Lean towards me" and the gambeson slides down her back and left arm onto the floor.

Brienne’s head, however, comes to rest on his left shoulder. Her breath tickles his neck. They stand like this for what feels like an instant or eternity. Jaime carefully lifting his stump to her back, holding her. Brienne bringing her body closer to his. Jaime lowering his head onto her shoulder. Brienne laying her hand on his waist.  
His pulse calms down, her breath settles to a slower rhythm.

Eventually Brienne raises her head from his shoulder, takes a tentative step out of their embrace, another one towards her bed and drops down onto it.  
"Thank you for your help, Ser Jaime."  
Meeting his gaze, she adds "I will gladly have you", answering the question he has posed an uncountably long while ago.


End file.
